With coronavirus now present in every country worldwide, the world’s 71 million refugees and forcibly displaced people are among the most exposed and vulnerable. For people who fled wars and persecution, the impact on their mostly hand-to-mouth existence and on their hosts has been devastating.

While no outbreaks in refugee and internally displaced camps and settlements have so far been reported, UNHCR is rapidly responding in 134 refugee-hosting countries that are reporting local transmission. Our teams around the world are preparing fast and bracing for the worst.

In order to do this, UNHCR has called for an extra $490 million as part of the UN’s revised $6.7bn appeal for COVID-19.

This will help UNHCR to further strengthen national health and sanitation systems, provide vital protection services and ramp up cash assistance for the most vulnerable.

Together with our partners, UNHCR is determined to stay the course and deliver for refugees, internally displaced, stateless people, and their hosts, and ensure their inclusion in public health responses and social safety nets.

Additional guidance documents are available in the left hand menu while country specific details on their operational pages.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh has more than doubled over the past two weeks to over 35,000. There are now 25 confirmed cases among refugees in Kutupalong camp. To respond, UNHCR opened two isolation and treatment facilities last week with a total of 200 beds. The total capacity provided by humanitarian actors will reach 1,100 beds by mid-June.

02 Jun 2020

With Latin America emerging as a new epicenter, Venezuelan refugees and migrants are in need of additional support. On 26 May, the International Donors Conference in Solidarity with Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants raised some USD 2.79 billion for host states and organisations helping the Venezuelans.

02 Jun 2020

The number of reported COVID-19 cases has risen to over 5.4 million worldwide, with over 340,000 deaths. The spread of COVID-19 is increasing rapidly in Africa, with the majority of countries experiencing community transmission.

This document is a snapshot of the many innovative field practices emerging in light of COVID-19. UNHCR preparedness and response to COVID-19 is comprehensive including cash assistance as a quick and ...

UNHCR’sprimary objective in this crisis is to protect refugees who are exposed to COVID-19 and to protect the livelihoods of refugees during the crisis. This document provides points that could be tak...

This document is an annex to the Livelihoods Short Guidance on COVID-19 Response and is specifically addressed to UNHCR operations which have established partnerships with financial service providers ...

In this rapidly evolving context, we know it is important to continue providing updates of the latest thinking from MERS collaborators. Below are updates to the March 25 guidance on how the MERS Stand...

This note offers the ILO’s preliminary assessment concerning the possible impacts of COVID-19 on the world of work and proposes a range of policy options to mitigate these impacts and facilitate stron...

UNHCR’sprimary objective in this crisis is to protect refugees who are exposed to COVID-19 and to protect the livelihoods of refugees during the crisis. This document provides points that could be tak...

This document is an annex to the Livelihoods Short Guidance on COVID-19 Response and is specifically addressed to UNHCR operations which have established partnerships with financial service providers ...

In this rapidly evolving context, we know it is important to continue providing updates of the latest thinking from MERS collaborators. Below are updates to the March 25 guidance on how the MERS Stand...

This note offers the ILO’s preliminary assessment concerning the possible impacts of COVID-19 on the world of work and proposes a range of policy options to mitigate these impacts and facilitate stron...